Experimental and Computational Methods To Find The Modal Frequencies of E-Glass/Epoxy Mono Composite Leaf Spring Designed For TATA ACE HD

International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Vol. 3 Issue 8, August - 2014
Experimental and Computational Methods to

Find the Modal Frequencies of E-Glass/Epoxy
Mono Composite Leaf Spring Designed for TATA
ACE HD
Mohammed Eranpurwala1, Md Sameer Ajuvath A2
1, 2
B.Tech Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering,

B.S.Abdur Rahman University, Chennai
considering composites instead of Steel is their weight. Other

important characteristics of composites which make them
excellent for leaf spring are: high strength to weight ratio,
superior fatigue strength, fail-safe capabilities, excellent
corrosion resistance, smoother ride, higher natural frequency,
etc [4].
Over a decade, researchers globally have worked on the
suitability of composites for leaf spring. Various scientific
papers have been published, which is a proven record of
composites being successfully tested and implemented in test
vehicles. Shishay [1] (2012) designed a single leaf of EGlass/Epoxy for a light three wheeler vehicle and simulated it
for determining the maximum stress and deflection. Pankaj
Saini et al. [2] (2013) designed a mono composite leaf for
Mahindra Commander 650 DI using E-Glass/Epoxy,
Carbon/Epoxy and Graphite/Epoxy. Using FEA, they
validated the design and achieved a weight reduction of up to
91.95%. I.Rajendran et al. [3] (2001) used Generic Algorithm
to design a composite leaf to achieve minimum weight with
adequate strength and stiffness. With optimization, they
achieved a weight reduction of 75.6%. Mahmood.S et al. [4]
(2003) designed and optimized composite leaf spring for rear
suspension of a light vehicle which weighed 80% less than
conventional steel leaf spring. Al-Qureshi [5] (2001)
designed a single leaf with variable thickness of GFRP. He
made a prototype which was subjected to static load test in
laboratory and then further subjected it to test on vehicle.
Erol.S et al. [6] (1999) designed and manufactured
unidirectional E-Glass/Epoxy composite leaf that weighed
around 236 g. Load test was carried out on the prototype and
was validated using FEA results. M.Venkatesan et al. [7]
(2012) designed and simulated E-Glass/Epoxy composite leaf
spring under static loading condition. They found that the
composite leaf had 67.35% lower stress, 64.95% higher
stiffness and 126.98% higher natural frequency than that of
steel. Gulur.S et al. [8] (2006) designed a unidirectional
GFRP composite leaf for constant cross sectional area. Using
computer algorithm, they obtained the optimum thickness at
the ends and at the centre. They further fabricated a prototype
using hand lay-up process and tested it following the standard
procedures of SAE. Edward.N et al. [9] (2014) designed a
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Abstract A leaf spring is subjected to vibration due to road

profile irregularities, which leads to its fatigue failure. Also, if
the natural frequency of the leaf spring matches the excitation
frequency of the road profile, resonance occurs and the
vibration is transmitted to the upper deck of the vehicle causing
damage to fragile goods being transported. Hence, it is
important to determine the modal frequencies of the leaf spring.
This research work aims to highlight the experimental and
computational techniques used to determine the modal
frequencies of E-Glass/Epoxy mono composite leaf spring
designed for the rear suspension of Tata Ace HD pickup truck.
A prototype of E-Glass/Epoxy composite leaf is fabricated using
conventional hand lay-up process and subjected to free and
forced (harmonic) vibration test using DAQ (Data Acquisition)
and DSA (Dynamic Signal Analyzer) system. The fundamental
modal frequency obtained from real time test is validated using
ANSYS Workbench 14. The first modal frequency of the
prototype under free and forced (harmonic) vibration is found
to be 62 Hz, whereas using FEA, it is found to be 64.62 Hz. On
validation, the higher order frequencies and mode shapes are
determined using ANSYS Workbench 14.
Keywords E-Glass/Epoxy Composite, Leaf spring, Vibration
testing, Finite Element Analysis, Modal and harmonic analysis
I. INTRODUCTION
Weight reduction and cost optimization of automotive
components are biggest challenges faced by the automotive
industry in present scenario. The automotive OEMs and their
component suppliers worldwide spend billions on R&D,
which does intensive research on advanced materials whose
properties are superior to those of the conventional materials,
are cost effective and reduces the actual weight of the
system/sub-system thus improving the fuel efficiency of the
vehicle.
The leaf spring accounts for 10-20% of the unsprung weight
of the vehicle [2,3,7]. Any reduction of the unsprung weight
would help in achieving improved ride characteristics [2].
Introduction of FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) material for
the leaf spring has made it possible to replace the
conventional multi-leaf steel spring with a mono composite
leaf thereby achieving a weight reduction of nearly 80-90%
[2,3,4,7]. One of the most advantageous reasons for
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(This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.)
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mono composite leaf spring for Tata Ace HT truck. They

modeled the leaf in ANSYS 14.5 and applied a static load of
3800 N at the free end to determine the maximum Von Mises
stress induced.
II. DESIGN METHODOLOGY
in the design calculation for obtaining the thickness of the

mono composite leaf. After when the design thickness is
computed, the laminas are stacked in layers using the
Laminate Builder utility. 55 layers of laminas are stacked
to obtain the design thickness. The laminate properties are
determined and exported to ANSYS Workbench in *.csv
format.
A. Leaf Spring Specification (Tata Ace HD)

A Tata Ace HD pickup truck is considered whose rear leaf
spring is measured and its specification is given below
Table 1 Tata Ace HD leaf spring Specification
S.No.
1
Tata Ace HD Steel Leaf Spring Parameters

Length of the main leaf (eye to eye)
Values
865 mm
Curve length of the main leaf (2L)
910 mm
Arc height at axle seat (Camber max)
75 mm
Number of leaves
Number of full length leaves
Width of each leaf (b)
60 mm
Thickness of each leaf (h)
7.25 mm
Fig.1 User defined lamina (E-Glass/LY556)
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The material used for the leaf spring of Tata Ace HD vehicle
is 55Si2Mn90. The material properties of 55Si2Mn90 are
shown in the table below
Table 2 Material properties of 55Si2Mn90 [9]
Parameter
Value
Youngs Modulus
210 GPa
Poissons Ratio
0.3
Ultimate Tensile Strength
1962 MPa
Yield Strength
1500 MPa
Density
7850 kg/
B. Design of Composite Laminate

The properties of E-Glass/Epoxy laminate are computed
using Autodesk Simulation Composite Design 2014. The
software has an in-built material database of different
commercially available fibers, matrices and laminas whose
values are taken from ASTM tensile tests.
The software is opened and the Fabric Builder utility is
selected for creating a user defined lamina of E-Glass/LY556
Epoxy. The areal weight of E-Glass fibers (400 GSM) is
entered along with the fiber weight % and void volume %
(15% for hand lay-up process). A volume fraction of 50% is
considered for E-Glass fiber and the remaining 50% is
considered for LY556 epoxy. Hand layup process always
leads to a deviation of this ratio due to compaction of the
laminate and squeezing out of epoxy resin. With prior
experience, it is observed that the actual ratio of volume
changes to 55.01% of fibers to 44.99% epoxy, corresponding
to 71.42% weight of fibers to 28.58% weight of epoxy. Once
the lamina is created, its thickness is determined along with
its properties. The longitudinal Youngs Modulus E11 is used
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Fig.2 Properties of E-Glass/LY556 lamina
Fig.3 Creation of laminate by stacking laminas (E-Glass/LY556)
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The properties of E-Glass/LY556 Epoxy laminate as obtained

from the software are shown in the table below
Table 3 Properties of E-Glass/Epoxy laminate
Properties
Tensile Modulus along X-direction (Ex), MPa
Tensile Modulus along Y-direction (Ey), MPa
Tensile Modulus along Z-direction (Ez), MPa
Shear Modulus along XY plane (Gxy), MPa
Shear Modulus along YZ plane (Gyz), MPa
Shear Modulus along XZ plane (Gxz), MPa
Poisson's Ratio along XY plane (Nuxy)
Poisson's Ratio along YZ plane (Nuyz)
Poisson's Ratio along XZ plane (Nuxz)
Density (g/mm3)
E-Glass/Epoxy
41165.8
10328.8
10328.8
3788.2
3655
3788.2
0.259
0.413
0.259
0.002004
C. Design of Mono Composite Leaf Spring

The vehicle specification is shown in the table below
max = 473 MPa
Table 4 Specification of the vehicle (Tata Ace HD)

Kerb Weight
Gross Vehicle Weight
Rear Suspension Type
[16]
The thickness of the mono composite leaf spring is computed

using the above equations where the stiffness (R) of the
composite leaf is taken to be same as that of conventional leaf
spring in order to have the same ride quality and performance
characteristics.
945 kg
1550 kg
Parabolic multi-leaf steel spring with
hydraulic double acting shock absorber
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In order to replace the conventional steel leaf spring with

mono composite leaf spring, the geometrical parameters of
the leaf spring have to be same because of space constraints.
These parameters are the length of the leaf (L) and the width
of the leaf (b). The only design parameter which is a variable
and of primary importance is the thickness of the leaf (h).
According to SAE standard [4], a leaf spring can be
considered as two cantilevers, the fixed end being the axle
seat and the free end subjected to half load of the leaf spring.
Total load acting on the suspension system of the vehicle is

1550 x 9.81 = 15205.5 N
Since there are 4 leaf springs in the vehicle to support the
load, the load carried by individual leaf spring is 15205.5/4
= 3801.37 N
Considering load factor for overloading to be 1.4, the net load
acting on individual leaf spring is
3801.37 x 1.4 = 5321.92 N
The load acting on a half leaf spring is given as
F = 5321.92/2 = 2660.96 N 2661 N
On solving (1) & (2), we obtain two values for the thickness.
h1 = 15.83 mm
h2 = 18.00 mm
From the stress point of view, the design is safe with 15.83
mm, but considering deflection, it exceeds the camber of 75
mm, thus making the design fail. Hence, we select 18 mm as
the safe thickness which satisfies both the criteria of
maximum stress and maximum deflection.
III.
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
In order to validate the design parameters, FEA is performed

using ANSYS Workbench 14. A model of the leaf is created
in Pro/E, converted into *parasolid format and imported in
ANSYS. The material properties are imported from Autodesk
Simulation Composite Design. One side of the model is
completely fixed (cantilever) and the free end is subjected to
a force of 2661 N in vertically downward direction. Fine
meshing is done on the model to achieve accurate results.
The spring stiffness of the conventional steel leaf spring is

calculated using the analytical relation
R = 38.231 N/mm
The design variable (thickness) for a mono composite leaf
spring is computed using the standard design formulae as
given below [12, 14, 15]
Fig.4 Stress induced in E-Glass/Epoxy composite leaf
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Fig.9 Fourth Mode Shape

Fig.5 Deflection induced in E-Glass/Epoxy composite leaf
Table 5 Result comparison of FEA with analytical result

Parameter
Stress (MPa)
Deflection (mm)
Stiffness (N/mm)
Analytical Result
373.68
69.6
38.23
FEA Result
372.2
70.8
37.58
The values obtained from analytical calculation and FEA

results are in close proximity indicating the design approach
to be valid and accurate. With validation of design
parameters, we try to find the modal frequencies of the mono
composite leaf and also their mode shapes.
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Fig.10 Fifth Mode Shape
Fig.6 First Mode Shape
Fig.11 Sixth Mode Shape
Table 6 Modal Frequencies of E-Glass/Epoxy Composite

(FEA)
Mode
Frequency (Hz)
64.62
201.39
369.69
421.59
984.06
1024.1
Fig.7 Second Mode Shape
IV.
FABRICATION OF PROTOTYPE
As per the SAE standards for analyzing leaf spring, only half
leaf spring is required [4]. A half leaf of E-Glass/Epoxy
composite without eye is fabricated using hand lay-up
process.
A wooden mould is prepared following the
geometrical dimensions of the leaf as calculated
from design formulae.
Fig.8 Third Mode Shape
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The fiber sheets of E-Glass (400 GSM) are cut

into rectangular pieces of dimension 940 x 80
mm, keeping the allowance for cutting/trimming.
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From the calculation, for E-Glass/Epoxy, 55 such

layers are required. The total weight of these 55
layers is found to be 1022.3 gm.
For achieving the required volume fraction of

50% fibers and 50% matrix, epoxy (LY556) is
taken to be half of the weight of fiber sheets, i.e.
511.2 gm.
Hardener HY951 is mixed with epoxy in the

ratio of 1:10. The mixture is then stirred to get a
homogeneous compound.
OHP sheets are pasted on top of the mould and

wax polish is applied over it for easy removal of
the composite after curing.
First coat of Epoxy is applied over the wax

polish and the fiber sheet is placed over it. The
fiber sheet is roll-pressed in order to remove the
voids between fiber and the epoxy inter-layer.
The epoxy is applied over the fiber sheet and a

new layer of fiber sheet is placed over it and rollpressed again.
The process is repeated until all the 55 layers of
fiber sheets are stacked one above the other to
achieve a thickness of 18mm.
Once all the fiber sheets are stacked, wax polish

is applied over the topmost layer and OHP sheet
is placed over it. It is roll-pressed again for even
distribution of wax polish.
The setup is left undisturbed to cure at room

temperature for about 2 days and after that, the
composite leaf is removed from the mould for
trimming the extra fibers and epoxy from the
sides.
Fig.15 Prototype after trimming the sides
V.
EXPERIMENTAL VIBRATION TEST
A. Free Vibration Test Procedure

One end of the prototype is fixed to a firm base (table) with a
C-Clamp. The accelerometer is mounted at the free end and
connected to the DAQ NI 9234. The DAQ is connected to PC
using USB cable and
LabVIEW is opened. The
accelerometer is calibrated and range over which the signals
are to be captured is defined. DAQ NI 9234 is programmed to
capture signal from accelerometer and convert it into FFT
plot. Once the setup is done, the free end of the prototype is
struck with an impact hammer. Since the impact is in
vertically downward direction, the DSA captures only those
modal frequencies which tend to produce transverse bending.
The time domain plot and the FFT plot are observed. A peak
in FFT plot represents the resonating frequency.
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Fig.14 Squeezing out extra Epoxy (Compaction)
Fig.12 Wooden Mould
Figure 16 a) Test Setup
b) Impact hammer (free vibration)
Fig.13 Epoxy/Hardener mixture applied over fiber sheet
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Fig.20 Logarithmic Decrement

Fig.17 LabVIEW program for DAQ Setup
B. Forced (Harmonic) Vibration Test Procedure
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The physical setup is same as that of free vibration test. A

vibration exciter (shaker) is placed at the free end and excited
between the frequency range of 0-100 Hz. The FFT plot of
the prototype is observed in DEWESoft.
Fig.18 Free Vibration Response (LabVIEW)
DEWESoft is also used to determine the free vibration

response of the prototype. The accelerometer is autocalibrated and there is no need of programming.
Fig.22 Forced Vibration Response (FFT) DEWESoft
Fig.19 Free Vibration Response (DEWESoft)
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Fig.21 Forced Vibration Setup (Harmonic Exciter)
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Table 7 Validation of Vibration Test Results with FEA

1st Modal Frequency - FEA (Hz)
64.62
1st Modal Frequency - Free Vibration - LabVIEW

(Hz)
1st Modal Frequency - Free Vibration DEWESoft (Hz)
1st Modal Frequency Forced (Hz)
62
VI.
60
62
CONCLUSION
With this design approach, a weight reduction of

78.96% is achieved and the cost is reduced by
55.25%.
It is observed that the experimental test results are in
close proximity with the FEA results. The 1st modal
frequency as obtained from experimental test is 62
Hz and that obtained from FEA is 64.62 Hz.
The fractional deviation between the two results is
very small which validates the design methodology.
Modal frequencies are important in determining the
performance of composite leaf spring over various
road profiles as classified by ISO 2631-1, which is
beyond the scope of this research work.
[10] Santosh.M.Kumar, Technical Support Engineer, ANSYS India;

Analyzing Random Vibration Fatigue.
[11] K. Reza-Kashyzadeh, M. J. Ostad-Ahmad-Ghorabi, A. Arghavan;
Study Effects of Vehicle Velocity on A Road Surface Roughness
Simulation; Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 372 (2013) pp 650656 (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.
[12] SAE Automotive Handbook, 8th Edition, BOSCH GmbH ISBN of 9780-7680-4851-3
[13] Calishers Material Science and Engineering, ISBN 13: 9788126521432
[14] A textbook of Machine Design by R.S.Khurmi, J.K.Gupta, 25th
Edition, ISBN -13: 978-8121925372
[15] Design Databook, PSG College of Technology, Year 2012, ISBN9788110005306
[16] Mechanics of Composite Materials by Robert.M.Jones,
2nd Edition,
ISBN-13: 978-1560327127
[17] Composite Materials Handbook, Department of Defense, United States
of America, Vol.3, Polymer Matrix Composites Material Usage,
Design and Analysis MIL-HDBK-17-3F ,Volume 3 of 5, 17 JUNE
2002
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We are grateful to thank our advisors Asst.Prof. Ravikumar
and Asst.Prof. Syed Shahul Hameed for helping us with
vibration testing of prototype. We also thank Asst.Prof.
Arockia Julius for helping us in fabrication of composite leaf.
REFERENCES
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Single Composite Leaf Spring for Light Weight Vehicle; Global
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[3] I.Rajendran, S.Vijayarangan; Optimal design of a composite leaf spring
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Experimental and Computational Methods To Find The Modal Frequencies of E-Glass/Epoxy Mono Composite Leaf Spring Designed For TATA ACE HD

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Experimental and Computational Methods To Find The Modal Frequencies of E-Glass/Epoxy Mono Composite Leaf Spring Designed For TATA ACE HD

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